The Impact of Familiarity Survey Questions on Data Quality
Surveys are an integral part of data collection in both academic and non-academic settings. One critical aspect of a survey is the type of questions asked, including familiarity questions. Familiarity questions refer to questions that assess an individual’s familiarity with a subject or topic. This article explores the impact of familiarity survey questions on data quality.
Why Familiarity Survey Questions Matter
Familiarity survey questions are essential for measuring how much an individual knows about a topic. They help researchers to determine the level of expertise that respondents have on a particular subject. This information helps in identifying potential biases, confounding effects, and interpretation of the results of the survey.
The Impact of Familiarity Questions on Data Quality
Familiarity questions impact data quality in several ways. Firstly, they can reduce the quality of the data collected. Suppose respondents do not have adequate knowledge or recall wrong information based on their familiarity with a given subject. In that case, the survey’s validity is compromised. This can lead to incorrect analysis and interpretation of the results.
On the other hand, if the survey contains many familiarity questions, respondents can quickly lose interest. This can lead to respondents rushing through the remainder of the survey, providing inadequate and inaccurate answers, leading to poor data quality.
Furthermore, familiarity questions can also lead to respondent bias. In some cases, respondents may feel compelled to provide answers based on social desirability. This can result in overestimation or underestimation of the actual responses leading to incorrect conclusions drawn from the data.
Examples of Familiarity Survey Questions
Familiarity questions can be divided into different categories, including personal familiarity, familiarity with a brand, and familiarity with terminology. Below are some examples.
Personal familiarity questions
– Would you say you are familiar with the medical terminology used in this survey?
– How would you rate your understanding of the inner workings of a computer?
Familiarity with a brand
– How much do you know about our company?
– Have you heard of [Brand Name]?
Familiarity with terminology
– How familiar are you with the term “big data”?
– Would you consider yourself to have strong knowledge of technical jargon used in the field of medicine?
Conclusion
Familiarity survey questions are essential for collecting accurate and reliable data. It is crucial to ensure that the number of familiarity questions is just right and that they are structured appropriately. The right structure ensures that they do not impact negatively on data quality, creating a better understanding of the data collected. Thus, researchers must take into account the impact of familiarity questions when designing their surveys to secure high-quality data.
